


A Promise

by neonkorok



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gift Fic, Happy Valentine's Day!, I hurt our boys…I hope you don't mind, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Separations, but you did ask for angst, enjoy, so of course i had to deliver :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22727812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonkorok/pseuds/neonkorok
Summary: It had been 375 days since Link had gone missing, and Linebeck missed him every single one of them. On a routine visit to Mercay, he finally finds out what happened to him.To say the least, it's not what he expected, and certainly not what he had hoped.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Linebeck & Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 276





	A Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheLemonPrince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLemonPrince/gifts).



> I played most of the way through Phantom Hourglass and took over 400 pictures of Linebeck's dialogue so that I could be sure I was characterizing him properly for this fic because I apparently don't know when to stop. This is also version three of this story, and I really hope I finally did the prompts justice with this one.
> 
> That said, please enjoy :з

It was a calm day on the open seas, the breeze light and the waters calm. Not a monster was in sight, least of all any other people who might be inclined towards piracy. The day was the physical embodiment of peace. As such, Linebeck was incredibly bored.

He'd been at sea for a few days now, and the conditions were the same no matter where his travels brought him, which was currently towards Mercay Island. It was a trip he made fairly often, and the repetitiveness of his journey certainly was not lost on him. It was just yet another thing to keep his excitement at bay.

There wasn't even any treasure on Mercay! He had nothing to look forward to but dull conversation that included many insults towards himself. At least he knew they were never meant to sting. Or so he told himself. He also intended to not gain money, but _spend it_ for some repairs to his ship’s salvage arm. He just didn't quite have Link’s finesse in hauling in the treasures he found, leading to more than a little bit of damage to the device.

And there he went, thinking about Link again. He sighed. Now he was not only bored, but also sad. What a wreck of a day.

It had been over a year since anyone had last seen Link. He just suddenly up and vanished in the middle of the night one day, never to be seen again. The Ocean King couldn't even sense his life force. It was like he'd just…disappeared without a trace.

Linebeck tried to hold onto hope that he was still out there, somewhere. Maybe on some grand new adventure that took him to a faraway land where even Oshus couldn't find him. But it was hard. Especially after so long with nothing more to show for it.

He just hoped Link was happy, wherever he might be.

He scoffed, shaking his head. Now he was getting _sentimental._ He must have underestimated his boredom. Because clearly that could be the only reason for the heat in his eyes. He was just so bored that it was driving him to tears. Yes, that must be it.

He looked up and realized that he was almost upon Mercay. He slowed down his ship and steered towards the dock, focusing only on positioning the vessel properly and lowering the anchor. He needed to clear his head before he went above deck. It wouldn't do to be so clearly upset as soon as he stepped foot on the island. People might begin to question his dignity. Because he was a _very dignified man, thank you very much, Ciela._ He didn't want people to get the wrong idea.

After a few moments spent composing himself, Linebeck straightened up and climbed the stairs out of the engine room. He saw a lemon-colored ship docked on the other side of the pier once he emerged and felt a little embarrassed that he hadn't noticed it there earlier. He really had been caught up in his own head. Her crew didn't seem to be nearby, though, so he stuck his hands in his pockets and made his way over to the shipyard to discuss the repairs he needed.

He never made it inside.

Right as he was about to open the door, the island shook as though it was being struck by another earthquake, but it wasn't quite strong enough to be that. It felt more like an explosion. The smoke drifting up from the direction of the Ocean Temple supported his theory. But if there was an explosion, that meant that the island was under attack. Which meant he was in danger. His very life could be on the line right now! A couple years ago, that might have been enough to make him turn tail and run back onto his boat without a moment’s hesitation just to get _away_ _,_ only striving to protect himself. But he was a changed man now. And so he did something that the old him never would have done in a million years.

He ran towards the fire.

It was a short sprint through the town and up the rolling hills towards the temple, but that didn't mean that Linebeck wasn't winded from the ordeal. As soon as the smell of smoke came over him, he slowed his pace at an attempt at stealth, but he was sure his labored breaths would give him away to anything too close. No matter, he would just stay far enough away until his body decided to cooperate with him. Spirits, he missed being young and spry. Getting old was so drab.

He finally stopped panting as he reached the tree line, and he ducked into the underbrush as cover. Voices drifted up from closer to the temple, and he strained his ears to take them in.

“I didn't know this was an important piece of architecture!” a young boy’s voice cried. “And it wasn't like I was _trying_ to blow it up, it just _happened!”_

An older man sighed. “Wild, please. Stop blowing things up. It's becoming a problem.”

The boy—Wild, Linebeck assumed—grumbled something quietly enough that Linebeck couldn't quite make it out. He could just make out movement through the trees now, flashes of yellow and green and blue. It seemed like there were a lot of people there. Linebeck could only hope that they weren't there to make trouble, as it seemed the explosion had been an accident, but he didn't dare leave his cover yet. Not until he knew for sure.

“Can we go now?” a different young boy asked, seeming very annoyed.

“What crawled up your ass and died?” an even younger one asked, and…his voice seemed…very familiar. A spark of hope lit itself in Linebeck’s chest, and he shuffled even closer, the group finally close enough to fully make out.

There were—he stopped for a moment to count—nine young men standing in a loose group before the entrance to the temple. The oldest, a man with facial tattoos and golden armor, looked very tired. Linebeck found himself relating to the man, despite having thought him an enemy attacking the closest thing he had to a home not to even a minute ago. A smaller boy with scars across his face was looking sheepishly at the ground. That must be Wild, the one who set off the explosion. And beside them, there was an even smaller boy with his back to Linebeck. A mop of blonde, slightly curly hair sat atop his head, and Linebeck felt his breath catch. It couldn't be. It was impossible. That spark turned into a small flame, and Linebeck couldn't find it in himself to smother it. If only he would turn around, just so he could be sure…

“Excuse me.” a voice suddenly said from behind Linebeck, and he jumped back with a yelp. Another man with facial tattoos stood there, the fur pelt he was wearing looking far too warm for this climate. “I'd appreciate it if you didn't spy on my brothers and me.”

Linebeck felt his face contort into an expression of pure offense. “Says the man who nearly blew up a sacred temple!”

“I didn't know it was sacred!” Wild shouted, and Linebeck's head snapped over to the group. Every single one of them was now looking at him. Including the small child.

Dark, green-blue eyes that twinkled with mischief. Mouth pulled into a smile that somehow managed to make him look innocent and naïve even though anyone who had known him for more than five minutes would know he was anything but. And his blue shirt, the same one he would wear to sleep at night. There was no doubt about it.

It was Link.

“Linebeck!” he cried out, starry-eyed. He hurried over towards Linebeck, who could only stare, frozen, as the boy approached.

“I've missed you.” Link said, quieter, once he reached the man. The tattooed man left them so they could speak privately, and Linebeck made a note to thank him for that later.

“Where have you been?” Linebeck finally asked when the quiet was becoming suffocating.

“It's kind of a long story.” Link rubbed at the back of his neck, a nervous tick Linebeck had never seen before. He was taller than he'd been before he left, as well. The realization made him more sad than he thought it would. This kid had grown since he'd last seen him, all on his own. Linebeck found himself wondering what else about Link he no longer knew. Were frogs still his favorite animals? Did he still have a fear of birds that he refused to ever explain? Did he have anyone to talk to at night when he woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares.

It dawned on Linebeck that these were very paternal thoughts. He decided he didn't care. It had been a _year._ He was allowed to be sappy.

“Well then, you better start it now. Time’s a-ticking.” Linebeck said, finally realizing they'd slipped back into silence.

Link smiled, somewhat strained. “Can it wait? I want to—”

“Kid.” Linebeck interrupted, and Link’s mouth snapped shut. That was his serious voice. “You've been gone for over a year, no word to anyone on where you went or why. You just up and vanished, here one minute, gone the next. Nobody knew where you were. Not even Oshus.” He took a deep breath. “So, no, this cannot wait.”

What he didn't say was that for that entire year, one week, and three days, he and everyone else whose lives had been touched by Link were all worried sick, haunted by the fact that they didn't know _anything_ about what had happened to him. So, no, Link was not allowed to just brush it off until “later.” He was going to explain, in-detail, right now.

Link sighed, but seemed to understand that he was not going to win this battle.

“I wasn't lying when I said it was a long story.” he said. “Can we at least move into the temple so we can sit down?”

Linebeck, gestured towards the entrance of the building, and the two made their way inside. They settled down on the stone steps inside, where the sun was beating mercilessly down on their backs. The temple’s air had always had an inexplicable salty smell, and Linebeck caught Link breathing it in, like he hadn't smelled the salt of the sea in ages. Which was…interesting, to say the least. Where could he have been that wasn't near the ocean?

“You were right when you said I just disappeared.” Link started. “I went to sleep in bed, but when I woke up, I was suddenly in a whole new world I had never seen before. Unfamiliar trees, animals, towns, and people. I thought I was dreaming for a while, but then I was attacked by monsters and I got a cruel awakening.”

He pointed to a small, nearly invisible scar above his left eyebrow, no more explanation needed.

“So then I was really scared because I had no clue what was going on, or where I was, and I was entirely alone. But then I found the others.”

“Those strange men who nearly blew up the temple?” Linebeck asked. He could just make out the group shuffling around outside. Link snorted.

“That's just Wild. He's a bit trigger-happy with his bombs, and he's a bit of a dumbass, but I love ’im.”

“That doesn't sound very…safe.” Linebeck noted.

Link shrugged. “I guess, but we face more dangerous things every day before breakfast. It's just another part of life now.”

“How do you mean?” Linebeck asked, suddenly feeling very queasy. Had Link’s life been in constant danger since he'd disappeared? Is that why he never came back?

“Well, after I found the group, a whole lot of things started coming together. You know the guy with the white cape out there?” Linebeck hummed noncommittally. He really only remembered the bomb-lover and the two tattooed men, but Link didn't need to know that. “That's Sky. I'd somehow managed to wind up in his time, or his Hyrule, as we refer to them.”

“His?” Linebeck interrupted, voice strained. “As in, different from ours.”

Link nodded, sympathetic. “Yeah. It was hard for me to wrap my head around it, too. But we've been transported between so many times and places that we've just kind of forcefully been adapted to it now. So that's why nobody was able to find me. In some cases, I was in times where I had never existed before. In others, I was already long dead.”

Linebeck choked on air. He did _not_ need to think about this small child dying right now.

“And do you know what it is that brought you together?” he asked, grasping for any kind of subject change.

“We're not entirely sure, but we've got some theories. There's this black lizalfos that's been making portals and summoning monsters from different time periods to attack us, and we think he might be part of it, if not the root cause. Of course, things are never quite that simple, but we can at least hope that if we take them down all of this will stop.”

“That man with the fur…he called you his brother.” Linebeck suddenly remembered. “Are you all related? Is that why you're together?”

“Some of us are, yeah. That guy is Twilight, and Time—the dude with the golden armor—is his ancestor by who knows how many years. We think Wild might be Twilight’s descendant, as well, but we don't really have any proof. I'm half-convinced Legend and Hyrule are related, too. That's the dude with the blue hat and the brunette.”

Linebeck nodded. He felt a bit like he was being overloaded with information. It was just…a lot to take in.

“You said something about me being gone for over a year.” Link said. “Have I really? For me, it's only been a few months.”

Linebeck laughed, a horrible, wet sound. “Yeah, kid, you have.”

Link shuffled a bit closer, and Linebeck hesitated a moment before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The kid rested his head on Linebeck’s shoulder.

“It's been hard.” Linebeck admitted, his voice barely a whisper. Why was this so hard? It was just facts. Facts should be easy. But these…these weren't. “It's been so hard, not knowing where you were, who you were with, if you were safe.” He paused. “If you were alive.”

Link opened his mouth to speak, but Linebeck continued on, oblivious.

“Tetra was in tears that first day you were gone. Have you ever seen Tetra cry? I hadn't, before then. But there she was, sobbing like there was no tomorrow, and all because you were gone.”

“It wasn't my fault.” Link said. “I didn't want to leave. I didn't ask for another quest.”

“I _know,_ kid.” Linebeck whispered. “More than anyone, I _know_ that you deserve a break. And that's _why_ we were so upset. Because you would have told us if it was your decision to leave. But you didn't, and so we…we assumed the worst.”

He had to stop then, because he was getting dangerously close to sobbing himself. There was quiet for a few minutes after that, nothing but the distant sounds of Link’s new friends and the sea filling the air.

“I've missed you, too, you know.” Link said, and _Spirits,_ he sounded like he was on the verge of tears now. “I've missed all of you. Tetra, Neko, Ciela, Oshus,” he was crying now, “Aryll, Granny, everyone else,” he was _sobbing,_ “And I know it was hard for you, but I've missed you all _so much—”_

 _Fuck it,_ Linebeck thought, abandoning his emotionally distant persona in a heartbeat to pull Link into his chest in a tight hug. The kid’s tears slowly seeped into his jacket, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Right now, this kid just needed someone to give him a hug, and _damn_ if Linebeck wasn't going to be that person for him. Not when he'd lost that opportunity so many times before.

“It's alright, little lobster.” Linebeck murmured, tightening his grip ever so slightly. “It's alright. I'm here. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.”

Link sobbed, and Linebeck fought off tears of his own. This kid had been through too much. _Far_ too much. Why couldn't he ever catch a break? He was like a starfish, his arms constantly being chopped off and forced to regrow before the other limbs even had a chance to heal. He needed someone to protect him just long enough that all of his parts could grow back so that he could finally be strong enough to defend himself once again. Linebeck would be that person for as long as Link needed.

“I just want to go _home.”_ Link sobbed.

“I know, kid. I know. We'll try our hardest to get you back to Outset, I promise. You can see your family again soon.”

“You're my family, too.” Link pulled back enough to look Linebeck in the eyes. “Just as much as they are.”

Linebeck’s eyes burned. “Kid—”

“I love you, Linebeck.” Link said, and that just. Did not compute.

“Why?” Linebeck asked gracefully.

“Because you're you.” Link choked out a laugh. “Do I need any more reason?”

A tear slipped out of Linebeck’s hold, others following quickly behind. He quickly wiped them away.

“I love you, too, star.” Linebeck admitted. “Spirits, you're too good for this world.”

Link leaned forward so his face was buried back in Linebeck’s chest.

“I've missed you.” Link said again.

“I know, kid.” Linebeck said. “But you don't have to. Not anymore.”

Linebeck may not be able to control whatever force was dragging Link through space and time, but he knew that he would do anything to keep this kid— _his_ kid—happy and healthy and safe, where he knew he was loved and could love in return. Because _dammit_ his kid deserved that. Deserved _so much more,_ but if this was all that Linebeck could do, then he was going to fight tooth and nail for it.

“I'll always be with you.” Linebeck said, and for some reason, it didn't feel like a lie.

It felt like a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Love Day, Prince! I hope you liked it, because I have fallen in love with Linebeck myself playing through so much of this game and now I _really_ hope I did him justice. I also haven't finished the game yet, so there might be some inaccuracies in there, but _shhh, it's fine._ Everything is _fine._


End file.
